This has been a bit of a surprise - I mistakenly let the fact that Tom Hanks (who I cannot abide) starred in the movie version influence my opinion about the book. This could not be a more foolish way to judge the quality of a book, as it is turning out to be a stunning page-turner.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in covert military history as this story could have so easily been named 'Vietnam - the revenge!'

Of particular interest - but given fleeting reference - is the part played by British Intelligence and the SAS during the Afghan war against the Soviet occupation. Americans being Americans, their concern to appear to have been central to the winning of this war has skirted over the part played by the SAS, so I would now love to read a book about the British involvement in this war.

One thing 'Charlie Wilson's War' does impart about the British involvement was - apparently - 'our'  willingness to 'fight dirty', and one of the most memorable and chilling quotes about the British, in my opinion, is: